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Mayor race Gillum's to lose

Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew Gillum has sewn up support for his mayoral run from many corners of the community, and he's raised a record amount of money for a city race – nearly $235,000 so far.

Mayor race Gillum's to lose

Mayoral candidate Zack Richardson speaks to children during a workshop for rising 6th and 9th graders at the Palmer Munroe Teen Center on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 in Tallahassee, Fla.(Photo: Michael Schwarz, Michael Schwarz/Special to the Democrat)

Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew Gillum has sewn up support for his mayoral run from many corners of the community, and he's raised a record amount of money for a city race — nearly $235,000 so far.

Standing in his way are two enthusiastic but lesser-known or financed opponents: Larry Hendricks, who hasn't won much support in his three previous runs for the City Commission, and Zack Richardson, a first-time candidate and founder of the nonprofit Pivotal Point Enterprises.

Gillum's been running for the open seat since filing in April 2013, before Mayor John Marks announced his intention not seek re-election. His opponents, including a fourth, write-in candidate, got into the race last month on the final day of candidate qualifying.

If no one gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the Aug. 26 primary, the top two candidates will go on to the Nov. 4 general election.

But political observers don't expect a runoff, saying the primary race is Gillum's to lose.

"It's not much of a contest unless something untoward and totally unexpected happens," said Carol Weissert, a political-science professor at Florida State University. "Even in a more competitive race, Andrew would be an extremely strong candidate. One of the real jobs of the mayor is to sell Tallahassee, and he's a superb salesman."

Jon Ausman, national committeeman for the Democratic Party, said Gillum is well-liked by the community, enjoys high name recognition and knows the issues better than his opponents.

"Andrew will run away with the race, probably getting more than two-thirds of the vote," he said. "I don't see how either of his opponents can put together a winning coalition."

Gillum, who's served on the City Commission for 11 years, says he wants to be Tallahassee's "cheerleader-in-chief," promoting a safe community for families, a vibrant economy for graduates and cultural and arts offerings for residents and visitors.

"I'm running for mayor because I feel I have the experience, the passion and the commitment to help make Tallahassee the vibrant city we all want it to be," said Gillum, 34, who serves as director of youth leadership programs for the People for the American Way Foundation.

Hendricks, an activist and City Hall critic who was involved in the Occupy Tallahassee movement, said he is running for mayor because "somebody's got to." Hendricks has run for mayor twice before and as a write-in commission candidate. When he ran for mayor in 2010, he got less than 4 percent of the vote.

"We need dramatic change around here," said Hendricks, 65. "We need somebody to represent the people and not the well-heeled special interests from here and elsewhere."

Richardson, whose nonprofit oversees The Character Center, an academic-based after-school program, said he is running to put "people before politics." He said his priorities would be public safety, government transparency and education and job creation.

"I truly feel we have gotten away from the service part of helping others and are spending a lot on construction and buildings rather than building lives," said Richardson, 43.

Gillum said that during his time as a commissioner, he sponsored the city's fast-tracking permitting process, successfully pushed for the small-business utility rebate, which returned more than $5 million to the local economy, helped open the Palmer Munroe Teen Center and worked to transform Gaines Street and open Cascades Park.

"I've done everything I could to improve on our quality of life so those behind me could make the choice easier to stay here," he said.

Hendricks said his first priority would be "changing the attitude" of City Commission meetings. He criticized a "kill switch" that was installed in commission chambers to silence speakers deemed uncivil. The device, which was used only once in March, was removed from the dais earlier this month.

"I think we need to have a participatory democracy," he said. "I think those City Commission meetings should be community forums where the citizens feel comfortable discussing the issues and concerns of the community."

Ethics officer an issue

Though Gillum enjoys widespread popularity, his tenure has not been free of controversy. In 2005, he and three other commissioners voted to give themselves a new retirement benefit that netted them tens of thousands of dollars. They later voted to end the practice. Gillum said he plans to give his share to a philanthropic cause when he reaches retirement, the earliest time he said he can do so.

Last year, he voted to spend at least $1.3 million in improvements to the historic Electric Building in Cascades Park as part of a proposed restaurant project involving his campaign treasurer, Adam Corey. City legal staff said the vote did not create a conflict of interest.

In March, Gillum was among commissioners who voted to hire an ethics officer who would report to the city auditor rather than serve as a new commission-appointed official, something the city's ethics advisory panel had strongly advised after months of meetings. Gillum said he favored a staff-level position because it would not be subject to any direct pressures from commissioners.

"It is the most independent you can get within the city government because they cannot be hired or fired by elected officials," he said.

Since the commission vote, a coalition called Citizens for Ethics Reform has begun collecting signatures to put a charter amendment on the November ballot creating an anti-corruption policy at the city. It would include an "independent" ethics officer and a $250 campaign-donation limit.

Richardson supports an "independent" ethics officer, he said, "to encourage our leaders to do the right thing, not just what is technically legal."

Public safety high priority

Gun violence has emerged as a major issue in recent months following several police-involved shootings of suspects, including two suspected armed robbers who led officers on a chase through FSU's campus. All three candidates say they would make public safety a priority.

Richardson said media coverage of the police-involved shootings and other incidents involving TPD are giving young people the wrong impression about officers. "In order to improve public safety, it's important that citizens feel that all officers are not bad guys," he said.

Hendricks said the nearly $50 million spent on the city/county Public Safety Complex, which houses the joint-dispatch center, could have been better spent on hiring officers.

Gillum acknowledged the city likely needs more police officers and said the commission is addressing that in current budget talks. But he said the problem won't be solved by policing alone.

"It will require the government and the faith, business and social-service communities to collaborate on the best ideas to address the problem," he said. "Personally, I feel that the heart of the solution lies in creating opportunities to help these individuals make better choices — specifically a job."

ANDREW GILLUM

• Age: 34

• Occupation: People for the American Way Foundation, director of youth leadership programs